Enright tapped to head Western Growers’ Washington, DC office

Trade negotiator Cathleen Enright has been tapped to head Western Growers’ office in Washington, DC.

Enright has served as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative, plus held positions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. State Department.

“Cathleen stood out for her combination of academic training in science, intellectual firepower, her energy and determination, and her substantial record of achievement in the difficult world of foreign trade negotiations,” said Western Growers president and chief executive officer Tom Nassif.

As deputy assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Enright negotiated bilateral and multi-lateral agreements with U.S. trading partners that restored market access, or opened access for the first time, to U.S. agricultural commodities.

Among these included agreements with South Korea for California citrus, India for California almonds, and Canada for northwest U.S. potatoes.

Enright served from 2000 to 2006 as assistant deputy administrator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She negotiated the resolution of 30 plus phytosanitary trade barriers affecting U.S. agricultural commodities, and served as the department and agency liaison with U.S. industries, other federal government agencies, state departments of agriculture, and Congress.

From 1995 to 2000, Enright served as a policy analyst with the U.S. State Department, where she coordinated interagency and international coalition efforts for negotiation of an international treaty in trade in products of biotechnology.